Race track device



March 12, 1946. G. MILLER 2,396,280

RACE TRACK DEVICE Filed Feb. 15, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l FILTER AMPLIFIERMODULATOR RECTIFIER F/QJT OSCILLATOR //YV/V7'0A?-- March 12, 1946. G.MILLER RACE TRACK DEVICE Filed Feb. 15, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 RECEIVERRECEIVER RECEIVER W/ fl/Ess:

AXFZZ/VE a Patented Mar. 12, 1946 RACE TRACK DEVICE George Miller,

halt to Jesse B. Hudson,

Philadelphia, Pa., assignor of one- Philadelphia, Pa., and

one-half to Albert L. Kusner, Lansdowne, Pa. Application February 15,1941, Serial No. 379,143

7 Claims.

This invention relates to racetrack apparatus and particularly to meansfor recording the order of arrival of contestants in a race, forexample, horses or dogs.

At the present time, racetracks are equipped at their finish lines withphotographic apparatus for the purpose of recording the relativepositions of the contestants as they approach and cross the finish line.While in most races the judges can determine beyond question the orderof arrival, there sometimes occur the close, so-called photo-finishes,in which the successive arrivals are so close that dependence must behad. on the records of the photographic apparatus to determine the orderof arrival. While apparatus such type is quite satisfactory to eliminatecontroversy, nevertheless, photographic development is required, and asa consequence, the determination of the order of arrival issubstantially delayed.

The broad object of the present invention is to provide apparatuswhereby the arrivals are automatically recorded in proper order eventhough successive arrivals may differ by only a very small fraction of asecond. In its more specific aspect, the invention relates to a type ofdevice which will record the order of arrival instantaneously on a boardvisible to the spectators of a race.

The above objects, and more specific objects relating to details of theapparatus, will become apparent from the following description, read inconiunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing in vertical section a devicecarried by a race horse to record a finish;

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken transversely to a member located atthe finish line forming part of a preferred form of apparatus;

Figure 3 is a wiring diagram illustrating certain detecting andrecording apparatus;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view of a type of board used for exhibitingthe order of arrival;

Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the nature of certain apparatuscarried by the racing animal; and

Figure 6 is a schematic view of apparatus located at the finish line.

Though the invention may be used for various kinds of races, it isparticularly adaptable to horse races, and will be specificallydescribed with relation thereto.

In accordance with the invention, the horse carries certain apparatusadapted to cooperate with other apparatus at the finish line todetermine the instant of the finish and to effect the recording thereof.In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the horse carries aphotocell on his nose arranged to be energized as it passes through abeam of light projected downwardly across the track at the finish line.As illustrated in Figure 1, there is secured to a portion 2 of the headharness of the horse a plate 4 arranged to rest on the horses nose andcarrying at its forward end, desirably in a position substantiallyvertically above the tip of the horses nose when its head is in a-normalposition assumed while running, a housing 6 open at the top in which islocated a photocell of small size having its sensitive surface directedupwardly. The front of this housing 6 may be elevated as illustrated at8 to provide a shield against mud and dust to prevent, as far aspossible, any soiling of the photocell surface which might result inrendering it inoperative. The photocell may be of any suitable typecapable of proper response to light modulated at high frequency.

The equipment illustrated in Figure 5 is carried by the horse taking theplace of one or more of the usual weights carried by a horse in racing.The output of the photocell is fed into an apparatus of any suitabletype, indicated at l2, which may comprise a filter, amplifier andrectiher. The output of this controls, in the modu lator [6, the outputof an oscillator M to deliver a pulse of/ high frequency to an antenna,indicated air I8, which may be constituted by metal fittingsabout or ina portion of the horses harness. The equipment illustrated in Figure 5may be quite light, powered by small batteries, and may have a radiofrequency output of very low power.

The apparatus of Figure 2 at the finish line comprises a housing 20 inthe form of a hollow bar extending completely across the track. Locatedwithin this are one or more gas-filled tubes 22, which may be of thetype generally used for illuminat on, filled with neon. argon or othergas. A slit 24, or more complicated optical arrangement, is located inthe lower portion of the bar 20 to project downwardly from the tube asheet of light extending completely across the track and limited betweenplanes such as indicated at 26. The arrangement is subject toconsiderable variation, but desirably the sheet of light should be asthin as possible or, at any rate, have its side toward which the horsesapproach substantially vertical so as to define accurately the finishline. Planes indicated at 28 and Sllmay substantially delimit the upperand lower possible positions of the photocells on the horses noses,

and-consequently the portion of the sheet between these planes will bethat intercepted by the photocells as the horses finish and consequentlyshould be located and dimensioned within the proper limits.

The objective of the apparatus so far described is to have the photocellespond to'the sheet of light indicated at 26 and, through the apparatusof Figure 5, send out a high frequency pulse to be detected by apparatuslater described. In view of the fact that the race may be run insunlight, it is obvious that some arrangement must be provided to insureselective response of the photocell to the light from the tube 22 ascompared with the light of the sun or sky. For this reason, it isdesirable to illuminate the tube 22 as indicated in Figure 6, by meansof a high frequency oscillator 32, which will provide modulation of thesheet of light at 28 at the frequency of the oscillator. The oscillator32 must provide a frequency of light molulation sumciently high so thatat least several cycles will occur during the limited time in which thephoto cell on a horse's nose will be passing through the sheet of light26; o more properly through the limited time corresponding to thepassage of the photocell through the maximum distance to be tolerated inavoiding other than a dead-heat finish. For example, if a tolerance ofone inch i permitted at the finish line, the frequency of the oscillatormust be such that 'at least several cycles occur during the interval ofpassage of the photocell through this inch. It will be evident that theoscillator should operate at a quite high frequency of the order of atleast several kilocycles.

Referring now to Figure 5, the filter embodied in the apparatusindicated at I2 i necessary to select the modulating frequency of thetube 22 from the constant source or such other modulating frequencies asmight possibly exist, due, for example, to alternating current,artificial lighting o th like. The filter may, therefore, be of a typeembodying one or more simple resonant circuits tuned to thelight-modulating frequency. The output of the filter may then besuitably amplified and ultimately rectified so that the output of the aparatus l2 to the modulator may be a D. C. pulse fed to the modulator IS.The circuit arrangement should be such that a transient, produced forexample, by the passing of the photocell into or out of the shadow ofthe bar 20 cast by the sun, will not create a pulse affec ing themodulator. he modulator may comprise an amplifyng stage normally biasedsubstantial y to cut-ofi so as not to pass high frequency from theoscillator ll. until the bias is removed by the D. C pulse from theapparatus ii. The result will be, therefore, a pulse of short du ationat high f eq ency in the antenna. l8 as the horse passes the fini hline. To distinguish between the horses, the oscillator l4 carried byeach horse has a dist nctive frequency controlled. for example. by acrystal which, as will be pointed out hereafter, may be checked by theJudges of the race. The frequencies used may be in the so-called shortWave bands and should be sufiicientlv separated so that the varioushorses may be distinguished without question by their characteristicfrequencies. The result of this arrangement is that as each horse passesthe finish line a pulse of characteristic frequency will be transmittedto a detecting and recording apparatus illustrated in Figure 3, now tobe described.

The detecting and recording apparatus of Figure 3 may be located in thejudges stand adjacent the finish line and comprises in the formillustrated a series of tuned receivers 34, 34' and 34", one for eachhorse, permanently tuned to the frequency of the oscillator carried bythe corresponding horse. Suitable antennae 36, 36' and 36" serve to pickup the high frequency pulses from the various horses.

The outputs of the respective receivers, which may be high frequency,low frequency, or D. C., are delivered through condensers 38, 38',

.38"- to the grids of gas tubes 40, 40 and 40" of a first set adapted torecord the winner'of the race. These gas tubes may be of anyconventional type (such as RCA 885 or 2050) adapted to break down andpass current by ionization when a sufficiently positive pulse is appliedto the tube grid. The plates of the tubes are connected through relays42, 42' and 42" to the positive terminal of a high voltage D. C. source,indicated at 46. The negative terminal 48 of the source is connectedthrough a resistor 50 to the cathodes of the various tubes which areconnected to ether. The relays just mentioned have respective armaturesll, 44' and 44" adapted to be attracted to close controlled circuitswhen current passes through the relay coils. Desirably these coils areof low impedance so as not to provide substantial time delay in theattainment of maximum current values in the tubes when break-downocours; or, if extremely rapid action is desired, the relay coils may bereplaced by resistors, the voltage drops through which may operate therelays through amplifying vacuum tubes. A battery, indicated at 52,serves to bias the grids of the tubes normally to asufiiciently'negative degree to prevent ionization from occurring. Loadresistors 54, 54' and 54" are provided between the grids and the biasingbattery.

A second series of tubes 56', 56 and 56 are provided to record the horsearriving second. As

in the case of the tubes 40, 40 and 40", the plates of these tubes areconnected to the positive terminal of the high voltage source throughrelays 58, 58' and 58", also provided with armatures. Pulses may bedelivered to these tubes through the condensers 66, 66' and 66". In thecase of this second group of tubes, the bias is provided by a battery62, in this case biasing the grids to a greater negative degree than inthe case of the tubes 40. The grid circuits return to an adjusiable tap64 on the cathode resistor 50 of the previous group of tubes.

This same type of connection is repeated for a third group of tubes 68,68 and 68" provided with relays 10, 10' and 10". Their grid bias isprovided by a battery 12, the return connection being made to the tap 14on the cathode resistor 60 of the preceding group of tubes. The lastgroup of tubes 68, 68' and 68" is provided with a cathode resistor 16 towhich, as indicated at 18, may be connected the grid returns of asubsequent series of tubes. The number of series of tubes used dependsentirely on how many arrivals it is desired to record. There may berecorded only the first three or first four. though in some instance itmay be desirable to record the entire field to avoid any question of theThe apparatus illustrated in Figure 3 may be.

associated with a remotely located board, indicated at 30, forannoimcing the arrivals to the spectators. This board may be providedwith the names and numbers of the racing horses and with columns oflamps 33 in a win column 34, lamps 85 in a place column 33, and lamps 31in 9, "show" column 33. These columns may. of course, be continued asfar as desired to show fourth and. later arrivals. The lamps may bedirectly connected to the armature circuits of the various relays abovedescribed.

Disregarding for the present the apparatus illustrated at the upperright hand portion of Figure 3, the detecting and recording devicesoperate as follows:

Assume that the horses arrive in the order corresponding to thereceivers 34, 34' and 34", respectively. As soon as the horsecorresponding to receiver 34 intercepts the sheet of light 28, a highfrequency pulse will be transmitted by the equipment he carries and willbe amplified in the receiver 34 tuned to his characteristic frequency.The output of the receiver delivers a pulse to the grids of all threetubes 40, 53 and 38, and such additional tubes as may be providedconnected to the receiver 34. As pointed out above, however, the gridsof tubes 53 and 68 and subsequent tubes are biased to such extent thatthe pulse delivered by the receiver 34 will .be insufllcient to cause abreak-down of these tubes, and consequently, tube 40 alone will. breakdown, this breakdown occurring substantially simultaneously with thecrossing of the finish line. It is characteristic of gas tubes that whenbreak-down occurs and they pass substantially their rated currents, thevoltage between anode and cathode drops to a quite low value. Forexample, while the voltage may be initially several hundred volts, thevoltage that occurs at break-down may be of the order of to 50 volts.The current is limited by the relay 42 (or a resistance in its location)and the resistance 50. If the relay 42, therefore, (or a resistance inits location) does not have a very high impedance in comparison with theresistance 50. the voltage between the plates and cathodes of all threetubes 40, 40' and 40" will dro to a comparatively low value. Theadjustment is such that with this low value of plate voltage impulses ofthe magn tude delivered by the receivers 34', 34", etc. will not besuiiicient to break down the tubes 40' and 40". As a consequence, assoon as one of these tubes breaks down, the other tubes of the win groupbecome inoperative and non-responsive to subsequent impulses.

As soon as the tube 40 breaks down, its cathode current flows throughthe resistor 30. This adds a positive potential, due to the voltage dropin the resistor 50 below the tap 64, to the negative biasing potentialprovided by the battery 32, and the adjustment is so made that this issuflicient to'lower the negative biasing potential on the grids of thetubes 53, 56' and 56" to such extent that the tubes may now be brokendown by an impulse delivered by any one of the receivers. The horsecorresponding to receiver 34 having passed, there will, of course, be notendency to break down the tube 53. But now, assuming that the horsecorresponding to receiver 34' arrives at the finish line second, thetube 53' will break down producing energization of its relay 38. At thesame time, due to the reduction of potential between the plate andcathode of this tube, the other tubes of the same row in Figure 3 arerendered inoperative to respond to further impulses. Simultaneously,however, due to the voltage drop through the cathode resistor 60, thenegative bias on the third group of tubes 33, 68' and 68" is reduced sothat these tubes promptly become operative and subject to response tothe receivers connected thereto.

It may be noted that, due to the small inductance interposed in theplate circuit of each tube by its relay 4!, there will be a very slightbut appreciable delay between the initiation of discharge in a tube andthe rendering responsive of the tube directly below it in its column.Accordingly, only the uppermost operative tube in acolumn will breakdown due to a corresponding impulse without the same occurring in thelower tubes of the column. If the impulse delivered to the grids laststhroughout the total time of passage of the photocell through the sheetof light, the sheet should be quite thin so that the arrival of onehorse may not break down several tubes in a column. But any such dangermay be avoided, and very close finishes recorded, if the impulsedelivered to the grids is, for example, caused by a transient voltageproduced by discharge of a gas filled tube forming the last stage ofeach amplifier. In such case, irrespective of the duration of subjectionoi the photocell to the activating light, the pulse delivered will beonly of very short duration.

As the tubes break down, their corresponding relays will operate toclose the circuits to the various lamps 83, 85, 31 etc. It will be notedthat delays in the action of these relays have no limiting factors onthe rapidity of response on the circuit of Figure 3. In other words,considering very small time difl'erences, it is quite possi- 40 ble thatthree tubes may break down in succession before the relay of the firstmay be completely closed to flash the light on the board. The system iscompletely free from delays due to mechanical lag, inasmuch as advantagei taken of the extremely rapid break-down of the gas-filled tubes. Sincedischarge of such tubes once started continues until the plate voltagesare removed or sufliciently lowered, it will-be evident that the relaysclose permanently to maintain the proper lamps lighted on the board 80.

It hiay be desirable to provide a master switch controlling the circuitsincluding the armature relays and the indicating lights or theequivalent, this switch being subject to manual operation. This isdesirable if the race terminates in what appears to be a dead heat withthe result that the judges may wish to check a permanent record,hereafter described, to insure that the finishes were not so close as toresult possibly in improper operation. The main switch just referred tomay be normally open, and its closing immediately after the end of therace may be under control of the judges. If the apparatus appears tohave functioned properly, the switch may be closed immediately. Therelays may, of course, be connected to indicate the results on a privateboard available to the judges, who can then duplicate the indications ona board visible to the public if their private board indicates properresults. In any event, it will be noted that the break-downs of thetubes themselves indicate the order of arrivals, and if they arearranged so that their visible glows are observable, they themselves mayfunction to provide the private indication for the judges.

In order to secure a permanent record, the apparatus so far describedmay be associated with each new impulse from a receiver. Thus a separatepicture may be taken of the field as each horse crosses the finish line.The photographic records thus obtained may be permanently filed asarecord at the nature of each finish.

Additionally, it is desirable to secure a permanent record availablewithin a minute or so of the end of the race indicating minute timeintervals indicating to a high degree of accuracy the timesoi arrivalsof the various horses. This may be accomplished by providing anoscillograph mirror for each of the receivers as indicated at 82, 92'and 92", there being, of course; a number of these equal to the numberof contestants. A lamp, indicated at M-may be provided to cause beamsfrom these mirrors to fall on a photographically sensitized paper,indicated at 91, moving in the direction oi. its length. The beamsfalling on this record member will normally trace straight lines, but asan impulse occurs upon the arrival of a horse, the line will beinterrupted as the oscillograph mirror moves. Simultaneously, a timingrecord can be provided by reflection of a beam 01' light from the mirrorI of a tuning fork 98 maintained electrically in vibration and arrangedto produce on the record sheet a sinusoidal trace I02 servingto marktime intervals. The apparatus indicated need not be more fullydescribed, since it may be identically the type of apparatusconventionally used in seismographic prospecting for oil or otherminerals. In such devices the tuning fork may record intervals of athousandth of a second and breaks in the continuous lines will indicatethe receiving of impulses. There will be, of course, one line for eachcontestant. In the present case, since development as soon as possibleis desired, the photographic paper may be subjected immediately beyondthe line where the light beams strike it to the action of a photographicdeveloper applied. for example, by a roller indicated at W4. A rapiddeveloping agent bringing up the latent image within less than a minutemay be employed. The record sheet as the developing takes place may passunder an amber glass in the otherwise lighttight container, so that therecords may be observed as soon as the partial development takes placeand prior to fixing, which may also take place automatically. Thusimmediately after the end of the race the judges may look at the recordsheet undergoing development and note whether there are sufiicientintervals existing between indicated arrivals to warrant their making adecision as to the positions of the horses. Of course. if the intervalsindicated are within the limits of error of the apparatus, a dead heatmay have to be announced.

Suitable precautions must, of course, be taken to avoid fraud. Thetransmitting apparatus carried by the horses should be checked andsealed,

aseaaeo Both at the beginning and end of the race, the apparatus carriedby each horse should also be checked to insure that it was in properworking condition during the race. It will be evident that alternativearrangements may be provided within the scope of the invention. 01having a light sensitive element carried by the contestants and a lightsource at the finish line, the arrangementmay be reversed. Each oi thehorses may carry a light of the gas type modulated at a characteristicfrequency, while at the finish line a battery of photocells may beprovided to detect light through a limited extent of fieldcorresponding, for example, to the region between the lines 28 of Figure2. In such case, the battery of photocells arranged in parallel may bewired to a detecting apparatus capable of distinguishing between thevarious frequencies at which the respective lights carried by the horsesare modulated. In general, in such case the receiving and detectingapparatus may be the same as already described.

Alternatively, lights may be carried by the horses modulated at the samefrequency, but the various lights may be provided with filters capableof passing narrow ranges of illumination. At the finish line. in suchcase, photocells may be provided forming the various groups, thephotocells and, to insure against falsification of frequencies,

of each group being provided with similar filters so as to detect onlythe radiations from a single horse.

i The detection of the finish may also'be accomplished in other ways.For example, a large coil may be provided at the finish line throughwhich the horses will pass. If this coil carries currents at a number ofdifferent frequencies, the horses may be provided with coils tuned byfixed condensers, carried on their noses. Each of these tuned circuitsshould be tuned to one of the frequencies carried by the coil at thefinish line. Theresult will be that a short-circuiting secondary will beprovided corresponding'to each frequency as successive horses pass thefinish line. The presence of such short-circuitlng secondary may bereadily detected to afiect the source of corresponding frequency. Therecording apparatus may again be similar to that illustrated in Figure3.

The apparatus described, or its modifications. may be provided not onlyat the finish line, but, if desired, at the starting line, and even atvarious other points about the course to determine the order of arrivalof the contestants at various locations. If used at both starting andfinish lines, the contestants may be credited with actual elapsed timebetween the two lines as compared with the present arrangement in whichfailure to get oil? to a proper start may reflect to the discredit ofthe faster contestant. In fact, in such case, the winner of the race maybe determined by the minimum elapsed time between the starting andfinish lines rather than the first arrival at the finish line,irrespective of the nature of the start.

It will be obvious that other variations may be utilized in accordancewith the principles of the invention without departing from its scope.

What I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent isr 1. Apparatusfor determining the order of arrival of race contestants at a finishline comprising means substantially defining an upright plane at thefinish line, means carried by each For exam-pie, instead Again therecording apparatus may be substantially similar to that describedherein.

contestant in the race, one of said means comprising a light source andthe other a detector of light from said source, said means cooperating,at the instant each contestant passes the finish line, to produce anelectrical impulse individual to said contestant, and means forindicating the order of production of said impulses.

2. Apparatus for determining the order of arrival of race contestants ata finish line comprising means substantially defining an upright planeat the finish line, means carried by each contestant in the race, one ofsaid means comprising a light source and the other a detector of lightirom said source, said means cooperating, at the instant each contestantpasses the finish line, to produce an electrical impulse individual tosaid contestant, and means for recording the order of production of saidimpulses.

3. Apparatus for determining the order of arrival of race contestants ata finish line comprising means substantially defining'an upright planeat the finish line, means carried by each contestant in the race, themeans carried by each contestant cooperating photoelectrically with saidplane defining means, at the instant each contestant passes the finishline, to produce an electrical impulse individual to said concontestantcooperating photoelectrically with said plane defining means, at theinstant each contestant passes the finish line, to produce an electricalhigh frequency impulse having a frequency individual to said contestant,and means for indicating the order of production of said impulses.

6. Apparatus for determining the order of arrival of race contestants ata finish line comprising means substantially defining an upright planeat the finish line, means carried by each contestant in the race, themeans carried by each contestant cooperating photoelectrically with saidplane defining means, at the instant each contestant passes the finishline, to produce an electrical impulse individual to said contestant, aboard comprising indicators of the finishing positions of thecontestants, and means 'testant, and means for indicating the order ofproduction of said impulses.

4. Apparatus for determining the order of arrival of race contestants ata finish line comprising means substantially defining an upright planeat the finish line, means carried by each contestant in the race, themeans carried by each contestant cooperating photoelectrically with saidplane defining means, at the instant each contestant passes the finishline, to produce an electrical impulse individual to said contestant,and means for recording the order of production 0! said impulses.

5. Apparatus for determining the order of arrival of race contestants ata finish line comprising means substantially defining an upright planeat the finish line, means carried by each contestant in the race, themeans carried by each 45 responsive to said impulses for operating saidindicators.

'7. Apparatus for determining the order of arrival of race contestantsat a finish line comprising means substantially defining an uprightplane at the finish line, means carried by each contestant in the race,the means carried by each contestant cooperating photoelectrically withsaid plane defining means, at the instant each contestant passes thefinish line, to produce an electrical impulse individual to saidcontestant. and means for indicating the order of production of saidimpulses, said last means comprising elements corresponding to at leastseveral possible positions of each contestant, and devicesinterconnecting said elements so that initially only the elementscorresponding to the winning positions of the contestants may beaffected by said impulses, and so that as soon as one of said elementscorresponding to winning positions is affected, the remaining elementscorresponding to winning positions are rendered incapable of beingaflected by subsequent impulses and the elements corresponding to secondpositions of the contestants are rendered capable of being ati'ected bysaid impulses.

GEORGE hull-ER.

